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Area 3: View

"View is noted for being recorded “mostly while in bed”, and that 
langorous energy bridges the gap between Khotin’s beat-heavy work 
and his headphone-friendly experiments."

A hallmark of Dylan Khotin-Foote’s productions is warm, analogue instrumentation that serves as a time capsule of past, present, and future warm memories and moments of zen. The use of samples from warped VHS, long-abandoned answering machines, and bargain bin cassettes adds an additional emotional layer to his productions.

On this year’s Khotin release, ‘Peace Portal‘, the samples scattered throughout the album explore how the degraded textures of discontinued formats can evoke a deep sense of nostalgia. Whether drawn from an old infomercial, a phone message, or the voice of a complete stranger, Khotin has a unique ability to balance sincerity with a touch of irony – crafting tracks that feel both emotionally resonant and subtly tongue-in-cheek.

As Area 3, the Canadian producer drifts into a misty, mostly beat free ambient mode that bears strands of the Khotin project’s DNA yet stands firmly on its own. Area 3’s self-titled debut landed at the height of Covid-19 lockdowns. The album’s vintage instrumentation provided a comforting light amidst the dark alley of isolation, as music became an even stronger connective bond to the outside world. A follow-up, ‘Amb’, arrived in 2021, and four years later, ‘View’ is the latest instalment of a loose series Khotin himself casually describes as “sketches”, “meditations”, and “outtakes”.

On first listen to any of the three releases, it’s clear these are stellar ambient pieces that are more than just outlines and demos. ‘View’ is noted for being recorded “mostly while in bed”, and that languorous energy bridges the gap between Khotin’s beat-heavy work and his headphone-friendly experiments. The tape offers appropriately autumnal moods for late nights and early mornings getting lost in the fog.

The leisurely percussion samples and warbling tapes sounds open up “Forest Science Department” in a familiar manner, complete with audio of an Edmonton bird watching guide buried in the mix. The field recordings play along with syrupy synths, as nature and electronics coexist in a deeply grooved out track that unfolds at a glacial, meditative pace. The beauty of this approach is that Area 3 makes you feel like you’ve stumbled upon a brilliant sync up you never knew you needed.

The other track that exceeds the ten minute mark, “Grass Turns to Sponge”, is a dreamy epic that revels in minimal elements looped for maximum hypnotic effect. Around the halfway mark, a delicate pan flute takes the track to the next level, nudging an already mellow vibe towards a deeper, headier spirit journey. What could easily have drifted off into new age pastiche feels like a somber, emotionally gripping track that uses easy listening as a secret passage to a valley of endless vibes.

There’s a clear psychedelic quality to all of ‘View’ that some can misconstrue as chiefly narcotic, but Khotin’s skill and cleverness with his productions and layers of interpretation display a deep consideration for his work. It could be that the tracks are, as he writes, odds and ends that didn’t fit on other releases; however, the flow of the tracks and the way his sonic fingerprint is identifiable across the spectrum of electronic music showcases a producer keenly in touch with and in command of his sonic aesthetic.

‘View’ is out now on both cassette and digital format via Khotin Industries. Order a copy from Bandcamp.

TRACKLIST

1. Forest Science Department
2. P-plunky
3. Deep Seek
4. Grass Turns To Sponge
5. Newcomer Map
6. Loss Day

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